The original hijab fashion, hijab style, beauty and entertainment blog for Muslim women

While I’m not a big fan of Jessica Simpson, I am intrigued by her latest project. She’s doing a show for VH1 called “The Price of Beauty.”
Simpson travels around the world with her two friends to explore what beauty means in different cultures. The show also looks at the things women go through to meet those ideals.

There’s been a lot written about Simpson’s weight fluctuations, which is ridiculous. She’s not big by any means, but it shouldn’t be a big deal even if she was. Weight is so arbitrary; it goes up and down all the time for everyone. People are simply different shapes and sizes.
It’s kind of like people’s idea of beauty. It really is in the eye of the beholder.

I think one of the things I hate most is when someone is called ugly. Have you really met anyone who is ugly? There are always things that make people beautiful. It’s just how we were made.

But the idea of beauty is a strange one. It’s spawned a huge industry that women spend millions of dollars on, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Everyone should feel that they’re looking their best.

It’s just the idea that one way of looking is more beautiful than another.

I can look at my own culture for examples of that. Pakistanis and Indians often see people with fair skin as better-looking than those with darker hues. I always saw that as ironic, since the subcontinent was overtaken by the British, who are fair-skinned.
It’s fine to see someone with light skin as pretty, but I don’t think that should be to the detriment of someone that simply was born a different way. I’m personally a big fan of dark skin. I think it looks regal and striking.

Obviously, it’s a cultural perspective. People have that ingrained in themselves.  It’s very intriguing to see that some cultures love women who are fat while others worship those who are emaciated. The differences are what make us all great.
It’s an interesting thing to look at, and I applaud VH1 for taking that on. It’ll be exciting to see what Jessica Simpson finds out.

Want to read more posts like this? Click on Pop Culture Hijabi for the full collection.

Pop Culture Hijabi is a weekly column by Nadia Malik. Malik is a former newspaper reporter based in Chicago who’s now making her way as a freelancer. She spends entirely too much time watching TV and reading pop culture, fashion and TV blogs. She also occasionally consumes serious books and news. No, really. You can reach her at info@hijabtrendz.com with “pop culture hijabi” in the subject line, follow her at www.twitter.com/nadiamalik or simply leave a comment below.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

I’m very late to the Glee bandwagon, but I just rented the DVDs for the first half of the first season and devoured them in just a few days.

That was just in time, too, since the season starts up again in April.

My brother and sister kept making fun of me while I was watching because they said the show’s been done already as High School Musical.

Although I’ve never seen the Disney version, Glee seems less sugar-coated and a lot more fun.

(more…)

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

You know what I’ve always wanted? Well, besides a walk-in closet with  a whole wall just for shoes. (Honestly, that’s one of my life goals. Sad, I know, but how amazing would that be?)

Remember in Clueless how Cher had a computer to put together outfits for her? That would be fun to own.

(more…)

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

I don’t know how many of you have been watching the newest reality series, Kell on Earth. The show, which is on Bravo, follows Kelly Cutrone, who runs People’s Revolution, a fashion PR company.

I was interested because Cutrone had made appearances on The Hills as Lauren Conrad’s boss and, most recently, as Whitney Port’s boss and mentor on The City.

Although she works in fashion, she’s not what comes to mind when you think of PR. She doesn’t mince words, and I’ve generally liked the way she handles herself. She’s also very intimidating to people, which is kind of nice to see in a female boss.

(more…)

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

I’m taking a break from celebrity literature this week because I finally got around to reading “Does My Head Look Big in This?” by Randa Abdel-Fattah.

Let me tell you, this book is hilarious and brilliant.

It tells the fictional story of Amal Mohamed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim, an Australian girl who decides to wear hijab in high school. More than anything else I’ve read, this book really encapsulates what it’s like to start wearing hijab when you’re a minority. Although it’s set in Australia, it may as well be set in America.

The protagonist, Amal, is a typical teenager. The writing really picks up on what 16-year-olds are into. For example, she decides to finally wear hijab while watching an episode of Friends. Of course, she has the religious backing to the idea too, but her final inspiration comes from something completely not religious. Plus, Amal is completely “normal.” Even though she is wearing hijab, everything else about her is what you’d expect from a teenager. I think the book really spoke to me because that’s the thing that most non-Muslims fail to realize about Muslims. When it comes right down to it, we’re pretty much like everyone else.

(more…)

Bookmark It

Hide Sites